Edmund Burke Flashcards
dates
1729-97
who was edmund Burke
whig MP
supported American revolution
advocate of adam smith’s free trade
importatant critic of enlightenment
famous work
Reflections of the revolutions in france 1790
opposed french revolution via this
view on human nature
fail more than it succeeds
makes lots of mistakes
claimed society represented in french revolution was unrealistic+utopian
view on change
happen on basis of facts+experience (impericism+tradition)
didn’t like french rev bc based on theory+idealism
people favour new french society based on ‘philosophical abstraction)
what comparison did burke make about the relationship between society and government
plant +machine
both had mysterious dynamism beyond reason
what did Burkes plant and machine theory mean in the context of society and gov
change must be cautious+organic
why didn’t burke like the french revolutions stress on equality
thought in every ‘organic’ society ruling class was inevitable+desirable
this class govern for interest of all
what did burke suggest instead of the new highly centralised structure of the french revolution
‘little platoons’
small, diverse autonomous communities
burkes quote about the purpose of little platoons
‘acknowledge,nuture+prune..crooked timber of humanity’
human nature summary
sceptical
‘crooked timber of humanity’- marked by gap between aspiration and achievement
will never reach perfection
the state summary
arises organically
aristocratic
rule interest of all
hereditary elite
society summary
organic
has many sides
little platoons
the economy summary
organic free markets
laissez faire capitalism
